'I love Keegan' beams Keane as scourge of '96 is all smiles before showdown

Roy Keane has been in the North-east long enough to know that Sunderland managers do not normally say nice things about Newcastle United, but yesterday that did not stop him lavishing praise on his opposite number, Kevin Keegan. Keane, who will travel to St James' Park for the first time as a manager on Sunday, believes Keegan has brought some much needed passion and excitement back to the Premier League.

Keane was part of the Manchester United side that pipped Newcastle to the title in 1996, when Keegan famously lost his temper with Sir Alex Ferguson, but he rates the former England coach highly.

"He has only been back two minutes but what Kevin Keegan has got is great enthusiasm for the game and I think that is a vital component in any manager," said the Irishman. "The game can get very robotic but that is not what you see with Kevin, and I respect him.

"I was absolutely thrilled to see him come back. I think a lot of people are losing their love for the game. You shouldn't underestimate the importance of Kevin's enthusiasm. I love that."

Even though neither Newcastle nor Sunderland are mathematically safe from relegation, both appear to have enough of a cushion to ensure survival. After recent advances Newcastle are 10 points clear of third-from-bottom Bolton Wanderers and Sunderland are seven ahead with four games left. For Keane the improvement has been achieved through his own brand of tough-love management, but he admits he cannot help but admire the different approach taken by Keegan.

"He loves the game and that is rubbing off on his players," he said. "Particularly over the last few weeks, they have been playing with great freedom and enjoying themselves. You have to enjoy being a footballer and the pressures of the game and that is why you have seen Newcastle playing so well.

"Everyone who's played under him speaks highly of what he does. Even the lads with England liked him. I don't remember them saying 'I didn't like it' when they came back; they spoke very highly of him. I admired the way he handled the England situation when it ended as well ... Sometimes you have to walk away from situations rather than hanging on for big pay-offs. I was delighted to see him back. It's brilliant for football and brilliant for the area."

In a disappointing campaign for both North-east clubs the derby takes on even greater significance. A win would relieve the frustration of another season of underachievement; a defeat would aggravate an already painful wound. Despite the present popularity of both managers, it is a game neither can afford to lose.

Sunderland's midfielder Dickson Etuhu will miss the remainder of the Premier League season because of injury. The 25-year-old Nigeria international has been struggling with a knee problem for the past few weeks and scans have shown that he requires surgery. He last featured in the 1-0 defeat by Portsmouth in February.

Jens Lehmann may have played his last game for Arsenal, with Arsène Wenger hopeful that his first-choice goalkeeper, Manuel Almunia, will recover from a wrist injury in time to play against Reading tomorrow. The Spaniard sustained the injury in training before last Sunday's trip to Manchester United, handing Lehmann only his fifth Premier League appearance of the season and his first start since mid-February. The German, who is out of contract in the summer, performed capably enough at Old Trafford but will be replaced if Almunia proves his fitness today. "Maybe Manuel Almunia will be available, I don't know," Wenger said yesterday. "I will make a decision on Friday morning. He got injured in training on the Friday before Manchester. We sent him for a scan and there was an inflammation so he could not play."

Doubts remain over Mathieu Flamini's long-term future at the Emirates, and the France midfielder will miss the Reading match as he continues his rehabilitation from an ankle injury sustained at Anfield. Talks remain at an impasse between

Arsenal and Flamini's agent over a new contract, and several European clubs, including Juventus and Bayern Munich, are keen to secure his services in the summer under the Bosman ruling.